Every once in a while, a show comes along that makes you question every smile, every apology and every “I love you”. The Girlfriend is exactly that. It’s a slow-burn psychological thriller that turns domestic bliss into a battlefield. On the surface, it’s about a mother, a son and his new girlfriend. But beneath the glossy kitchens and polite dinner conversations hides a war that is fueled by obsession, jealousy and secrets that could fill a diary no one should ever read.
What starts as a tense family drama soon spirals into a dark study of manipulation. Who’s lying? Who’s protecting? Who’s pretending? Who’s innocent? There are so many questions. By the end, The Girlfriend ending leaves you both gasping and grimly smiling, because you saw it coming, but not like this.
⚠️Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t finished the series yet, consider this your friendly warning. The next few paragraphs spill more secrets than Cherry at a wine night. Once you read on, there’s no going back!
The Girlfriend Ending Explained: The Mother, The Son and The Storm
The Girlfriend ending is like a tug-of-war between two master manipulators. There is Laura, the fiercely protective mother who can’t really let go of her son and then there’s Cherry, the charming outsider who isn’t what she seems. Both women want control over Daniel and neither plans on losing.
The finale doesn’t give you heroes. It gives you predators circling each other in silk and smiles.
The Mother’s Downfall: Drowning in Her Own Game
Throughout the show, Laura is convinced that Cherry isn’t who she looks like. She isn’t that sweet, soft-spoken girl that Daniel thinks she is. She digs through Cherry’s past, stalks her, hires private investigators and all of this is because she loves her son and wants to protect her. By the final episode, she uncovers evidence suggesting Cherry has a history of deceit and violence.
The confrontation happens in Laura’s own backyard, near that pristine swimming pool that’s been a silent witness to so many tense conversations. Laura actually drugs Daniel so that she can keep him with her. But Cherry comes looking for Daniel and is cornered by Laura. The truth starts to slip out and then chaos unfolds.
The series cuts between Laura’s screams, Cherry’s cold composure and Daniel’s distant oblivion. Moments later, Laura is found floating face-down in the pool. Officially, it’s an accident. But the camera lingers too long on Cherry’s blank stare, a stare that says she didn’t just watch Lauran drown, she let her.
Maybe she held her down. Maybe she drugged her. The show never confirms it, but The Girlfriend ending doesn’t need to. Cherry’s silence is guilt enough.
And just like that, the only person who saw through Cherry, disappears beneath the water.
Cherry’s Victory: Smiling Through The Wreckage
Once Laura is gone, Cherry’s transformation is complete. The sweet, nervous girlfriend becomes something else. She’s now calm, calculating and terrifying in control.
The flashbacks and side stories (especially Tracey’s haunting confession in the butcher shop) fill in the blanks. Cherry has done this before. Different names, different towns, same pattern. Find a man, isolate him and remove anyone who stands in the way.
She’s not a survivor. She’s a strategist.
And she’s already thought three moves ahead. Just as whispers about Laura’s “accident” begin, Cherry drops her biggest revelation that she’s pregnant. Whether it’s true or another manipulation, no one knows. But it’s enough to secure her place in Daniel’s life permanently.
She’s not just his girlfriend anymore. She’s his future. The ultimate The Girlfriend ending twist? The villain wins.
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Daniel’s Blindness: Love as a Mask
Poor Daniel. Sweet, naïve, caught between the two women who claim to love him most. One is gone, one victorious. He never sees the truth. Or maybe he chooses not to.
By the finale’s final minutes, Daniel sits beside Cherry, still wrapped in the illusion that he’s found his peace. She holds his hand, smiles faintly and says “We’ll be okay now.” The lighting softens, the music hums but her expression never fully relaxes.
It’s the same look she gave Laura before she drowned.
The ending of The Girlfriend stays with you. Cherry’s reflection in the pool, perfectly still, perfectly calm. Like a predator resting after a kill.
The Title’s Double Meaning
The Girlfriend isn’t just about the role, it’s about the performance. The word itself becomes a disguise. Throughout the show, Cherry weaponizes the expectations of what a “girlfriend” should be, gentle, patient, supportive to hide the monster underneath.
The title also mirrors the questions at the show’s heart, What do we really know about the people we love? How much of that knowing is real and how much is wishful thinking?
By the time the credits roll, you realize The Girlfriend ending isn’t just a thriller twist. It’s a warning. Love can blind you faster than lies ever could.
Themes Behind The Madness
Let’s also have a look at the themes that have been hiding behind all the madness.
Power as Love, Love as Power
Both Laura and Cherry use affection as a weapon. Laura clings to Daniel out of maternal obsession, while Cherry uses romance as camouflage. They mirror each other which is proof that control often hides behind tenderness.
The Myth of the Perfect Family
Every inch of Laura’s house screams perfection, the marble, the manicured garden, the endless wine glasses. But perfection is its own kind of prison. The show suggests that when you value appearances over truth, you invite monsters inside.
Survival vs. Sanity
Cherry isn’t just surviving, she’s rewriting the rules of survival. She doesn’t endure manipulation, she masters it. The Girlfriend ending shows how easily morality collapses when self-preservation becomes the only goal.
The Ambiguous Future: What Comes Next
The brilliance of The Girlfriend ending lies in what it refuses to show. Cherry’s victory feels absolute, but her calm is eerie, almost fragile. The series leaves subtle hints. There’s a phone call Laura scheduled before her death, a lingering email draft, a witness who might know more.
Is Cherry truly safe? Or is karma waiting, patient as ever?
Daniel, meanwhile, is blissfully unaware or pretending to be. His final glance toward the pool feels weighted, as if somewhere deep down, a part of him already knows.
If a second season ever arrives, it’ll likely follow the thread, Daniel’s slow awakening or Cherry’s next move. But for now, she sits in Laura’s chair, drinking Laura’s wine, raising Laura’s grandchild.
The cycle is complete.
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Final Thoughts: When Innocence Wears Lip Gloss
The Girlfriend isn’t about love. It’s about control dressed up as love. It’s about how every relationship, romantic or familial, has power hidden beneath it. And when that power is threatened, people drown.
The Girlfriend ending nails the art of unease. It’s quiet, confident and refuses to let you look away. By the time you realize who the real predator is, it’s already too late.
So next time someone smiles too perfectly, remember Cherry’s words: “I only take what’s mine.”
She wasn’t lying.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Did Cherry actually kill Laura?
The series never confirms it directly, but all signs point to yes. From the drugged wine glass to her unnervingly calm reaction after the drowning, it’s clear Cherry had a hand or at least, no hesitation, in Laura’s death.
2. Is Cherry really pregnant at The Girlfriend ending?
The pregnancy is likely a manipulation. It secures her place in Daniel’s life, but the show leaves it ambiguous. Knowing Cherry, it’s just another layer of her master plan.
3. Will there be a Season 2 of The Girlfriend?
Nothing official yet, but given the success and the open-ended finale, it’s highly possible. If it happens, expect Cherry’s past to catch up with her — or Daniel’s denial to finally break.